The Islamic Culture Foundation (FUNCI), created in 1982, is a Spanish non-profit, scientific and cultural NGO, entered in the Spanish Ministry of Culture’s Register for the protection of Cultural Foundations. The Foundation’s work is based on an open, universal view of culture, in which dialogue, solidarity and tolerance play an essential role. Its main objectives are to promote EURO-Islam dialogue and to help find solutions to our society’s difficulties for establishing intercultural communication.

Highlights:

For almost a quarter of a century the Islamic Culture Foundation has accomplished its cultural agenda through international symposiums, pedagogical projects aimed at actively involving children and students, educational exhibitions, musical performances, gastronomical seminars, lectures, courses for volunteers and teachers, and publications (both academic and generalist).

MED-O-MED Programme: (www.medomed.org)

MED-O-MED Cultural Landscapes of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, set up by the Islamic Culture Foundation (FUNCI) in Madrid is a Programme for International Development Cooperation related to the Spanish National Plan for the Alliance of Civilisations. MED-O-MED was created above all to make up for the shortage of funds available for conserving biodiversity and natural and cultural heritage in the South and East of the Mediterranean basin and in the Middle East. MED-O-MED seeks to recover the scientific and conservationist spirit inherent to Islamic culture through the rehabilitation of historic Islamic gardens, the recuperation of historic botanic gardens which have fallen into disuse, and the creation of new botanic gardens according to the same principles but with a contemporary social philosophy.

The MED-O-MED Programme is made up of four areas of action:

1. MED-O-MED Network of Botanic Gardens
2. MED-O-MED Sustainable Development
3. MED-O-MED Cultural Heritage
4. MED-O-MED Education and Training

Other projects implemented by FUNCI include:

• Travelling exhibitions and educational programmes;
• International Seminar The andalusí experience: an example of Biodiversity Conservation;
• Creation of a Botanic Gardens in the al-Andalus style in Aleppo, Syria and Jerusalem, Palestinian Territories;
• Rehabilitation of the Jardin d’Essais Botaniques de Rabat, Morocco.

For more information about FUNCI and its activities, please click here: www.funci.org/en